Damn I missed tonights NWA-TNA show but 1Wrestling says:
"AJ Styles captured the NWA championship in the main event of tonight's NWA TNA PPV, defeating former champion Jeff Jarrett and Raven in a Three-Way match when Styles pinned Jarrett. Raven was attacked by Shane Douglas (making his NWA TNA debut) during the bout. Styles captured the belt after interference from Vince Russo."
--Damn, I wish I had seen the show. I didn't think Jeff Jarrett would lose the belt. But Iam happy AJ Styles won. And they said Sting will be on TNA next week.
Yea I actually caught tonite's edition of NWA-TNA. I figured Jarrett would lose tonite to AJ Styles, although I did root for Raven during the World Title match.
And yes, it was announced that Sting will appear on NWA-TNA next Wedneday nite. In the next few days, there will be a lot of speculation regarding why he will be showing up. My guess is that he will be announcing his retirement from pro wrestling, appropriately with the company in which he gained stardom, the NWA. I hope I'm wrong. If he actually becomes a cornerstone of NWA-TNA for the next few months, he could actually be NWA's meal ticket for a cable TV timeslot. What do you think?
"Every parent's nightmare and every schoolgirl's dream, the Midnight Express!"
So will he become a part of TNA? Or just be there for one that one show? Will he be there for one show then go WWE? I hope he stays with TNA but I guess only time will tell.
A date with the lady friend kept me from ordering this week's TNA. I picked a heck of a week to miss it.
I say "HOLY SHIT!!!" to the world title change. Congrats to AJ Styles in pulling off something that would be IMPOSSIBLE in WWE. You'd never see a cruiserweight get the promotion's top title.
Wow, I'm intrigued! I'm getting the anniversary show for sure!
What is Mattitude? Utilizing the belief system and work ethic (Mattributes) of THE Matt Hardy to create a better life for yourself by fulfilling your goals and dreams. Mattitude is a quality that can help anyone -- regardless of background or past -- to achieve success. You just have to make it a lifestyle, a mindset, a religion. Mattitude, is something that can not be taught or learned. Mattitude is something that burns within. In the ring, Mattitude is the intangible, the x-factor, that gives me an advantage over everyone else.
I thought there was a good chance that Raven would get the belt. When he got taken out by The Franchise, I thought that Jarrett would retain for sure, since there's no way they'd give AJ the belt. I'm actually stunned by this.
Nevertheless, Russo's involvement left me feeling deflated rather than elated. The whole thing when AJ won and RUSSO is the guy celebrating, hugging the belt and kissing it, made me ill.
For those of you interested, other people making surprise appearances tonight were Crowbar and Scott Hudson (as a new backstage interviewer).
Trinity vs. Kid Kash was six times better than the last time they tried it. This also served as the first appearance of a guy who looks like a cross between Mankind and Kane; I dunno who he is, but he's gotta be the biggest guy on the roster.
AMW was really off tonight, but next week's match vs. XXX should be really good. I'm looking forward to Sabin vs. London, too.
Originally posted by It's FalseA date with the lady friend kept me from ordering this week's TNA. I picked a heck of a week to miss it.
I say "HOLY SHIT!!!" to the world title change. Congrats to AJ Styles in pulling off something that would be IMPOSSIBLE in WWE. You'd never see a cruiserweight get the promotion's top title.
Wow, I'm intrigued! I'm getting the anniversary show for sure!
Then of course Jericho held BOTH world titles, and is a cruiser.
Rorschach: "None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with me."
Originally posted by It's FalseA date with the lady friend kept me from ordering this week's TNA. I picked a heck of a week to miss it.
I say "HOLY SHIT!!!" to the world title change. Congrats to AJ Styles in pulling off something that would be IMPOSSIBLE in WWE. You'd never see a cruiserweight get the promotion's top title.
Wow, I'm intrigued! I'm getting the anniversary show for sure!
Then of course Jericho held BOTH world titles, and is a cruiser.
But Jericho was never pushed as a cruiser in WWE, was he? And he's over the weight limit, anyway.
On the other hand, Styles isn't a "cruiser," either -- the X Division is all about style and attitude, not weight limits!
Anyway. Scott has a point, but Styles feels "cruisier."
You know, it would be win-win for both parties if NWA-TNA bit the bullet and brought in Heyman. They're already employing 75% of ECW's last month in existence, and Paul could write his stories without the McMahon interference.
What would you do: be a big fish in a small pond with book control, or small fish in the big pond and limited say-so?
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by Matt TrackerYou know, it would be win-win for both parties if NWA-TNA bit the bullet and brought in Heyman. They're already employing 75% of ECW's last month in existence, and Paul could write his stories without the McMahon interference.
What would you do: be a big fish in a small pond with book control, or small fish in the big pond and limited say-so?
I know that the Heyman worship can get somewhat simplistic and annoying sometimes, but I really think that's somewhat oversimplifying things. Yes ECW went bankrupt, but the reasons for it's bankruptcy are not able to be laid solely at the creative feet of Paul Heyman. Considering that:
-Heyman is awful as a money man. No one should let him touch money ever. He probably shouldn't even be allowed to have a credit card. How much of ECW's financial woes can likely be tied to bad decisions made by Paul Heyman, Businessman? I would say a decent amount. I know others with more knowledge of the industry than I have suggested Heyman made a huge mistake by trying to do PPV when he did.
-WCW and WWF raiding. While Vince is still around and enjoys poaching other companies, it sounds like TNA is doing a decent job of getting its biggest names (minus Raven) under contract. Also there is one less hunter looking to pick people off. And as much as Vince would buy guys he wanted, Bischoff and crew were picking off guys just to be dicks. I mean really, 6 figures for Mikey Whipwreck to sit at home and grow a beer gut?
-The television deal combined with the PPV mentality. Heyman let himself get into a bad spiral of trying to compete on equal footing with Vince and WCW. This likely led to the related 2 decisions that were the worst in ECW history. By trying to build up and save his final trump card for just the right moment tv and ppv wise we ended up with an extended Justin Credible reign, all the while holding off on pulling the trigger on letting RVD run with the promotion. The Justin reign was atrocious for the company. Again though, how much of this is Paul's creative side being injured by his lack of business acumen?
So yes, ECW did go bankrupt. After growing under Heyman's direction from a little no-nothing independent into the most influential and third biggest promotion in the United States in a span of a couple of years. I'm going to say that if somehow TNA could get that kind of person in their ranks assisting them with stories and characters they would be better off, not worse off, for doing so.
I can see that you put a lot of thought and effort into this post, and I really don't want to just dismiss it outright, but...
Heyman's "success" as a booker has been grossly exaggerated.
The fact is, if Heyman really had his finger on the pulse like so many of his apologists like to preach, the show would have gotten more viewers, the house shows would have brought in larger gates, more people would have bought the PPVs, &c. &c. &c. These things failed to happen and the company went under.
I don't understand how, for example, you could sit there with a straight face and talk about Heyman The Great, but then in the same breath casually dismiss his idiotic booking on top as if it was something that was just out of his control and should be disregarded when it comes to the discussion.
If you believe the sheets - and why not? - Heyman The Great was handed the reigns of SmackDown! as the head writer many moons ago. Did the ratings go up and stay up? Did more people flock to the house shows? Did the PPV buyrates soar?
Oh, but there are REASONS these things failed to happen.... Sure, and I'm sure none of them have ANYTHING to do with Heyman the Great.
The fact remains that the very scenario you laid out (carelessly paraphrased by me as "Heyman would be GOLD if put in a position to be his brilliant creative self, yet not have to deal with any of the money!") - this very scenario has already happened *in the WWE* and we are all aware of the results. Why exactly things would somehow get bettter as a cog in TNA's Russo/Jarrett infrastructure, with the raw material of the TNA "talent" is a complete mystery to me. But maybe I'm just a cynic.
"The fact remains that the very scenario you laid out (carelessly paraphrased by me as "Heyman would be GOLD if put in a position to be his brilliant creative self, yet not have to deal with any of the money!") - this very scenario has already happened *in the WWE* and we are all aware of the results. Why exactly things would somehow get bettter as a cog in TNA's Russo/Jarrett infrastructure, with the raw material of the TNA "talent" is a complete mystery to me. But maybe I'm just a cynic."
It didn't come across well, but I meant the initial Heyman comment to be a joke baed on NWA-TNA reling so heavily on ECW acts -- Sandman, Saturn, Raven, Douglas, Kid Kash, Julio Dinero, New Jack, Lynn, Credible.
But I really enjoyed Heyman's ECW work and he seemed to know how to package a guy to play up his strengths. So why not? What's Heyman doing now to keep him in WWE (besides cashing a reliable paycheck that I certainly would have trouble walking away from to work in friggin' Nashville)?
I don't claim he's The Great and Powerful Heyman. But he put together an entertaining weekly show even if the PPVs were scattershot. And that plays to TNA-NWA. They don't have that monthly three-hour PPV to build to. Their "big" shows fit the weekly format.
I see that talent pool, and I cringe from what Russo has, could and could do with it. I think Heyman -- and this is my point, finally -- would do a better job.
So long as we don't see three more months of Credible/Lynn and Peaches getting piledriven through tables off the apron.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Sorry, I forgot to mention it in my previous post, but Sting WILL be wrestling next week in a tag match. He'll be tagging with Jarrett against AJ Styles and a partner of his choice.
"Every parent's nightmare and every schoolgirl's dream, the Midnight Express!"
Originally posted by IfYouWillSorry, I forgot to mention it in my previous post, but Sting WILL be wrestling next week in a tag match. He'll be tagging with Jarrett against AJ Styles and a partner of his choice.
Then, BY GAWD, AJ must pick Vader. He was on the show just a few months back.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Well, getting back to the topic at hand here, I was really shocked with AJ winning. Like the clueless mark I can be sometimes, I totally didn't get the thing with him and Russo. I was just shocked that he came out of nowhere and won. However, I was peeved that the typical TNA annoyance (overbooking in main event matches) was there. Why didn't they just save themselves the predictability and made that a no DQ match? Oh well. The show as a whole was pretty good, I could do without Goldie and Tracy wrestling though, ewww... Makes me more thankful for the Asukas and Hamadas of the world.. Anyway, I especially loved AJ's shirt, The X Styles. Hey, that show was superb, I don't care what you say! Of course most expected Raven to take it after getting screwed contimually, and I did too. I can't complain too much with how it actually turned out, as long as Ru doesn't become the mouthpiece. See you at the anniversary.
Originally posted by RingmistressWell, getting back to the topic at hand here, I was really shocked with AJ winning. Like the clueless mark I can be sometimes, I totally didn't get the thing with him and Russo. I was just shocked that he came out of nowhere and won. However, I was peeved that the typical TNA annoyance (overbooking in main event matches) was there. Why didn't they just save themselves the predictability and made that a no DQ match? Oh well. The show as a whole was pretty good, I could do without Goldie and Tracy wrestling though, ewww... Makes me more thankful for the Asukas and Hamadas of the world.. Anyway, I especially loved AJ's shirt, The X Styles. Hey, that show was superb, I don't care what you say! Of course most expected Raven to take it after getting screwed contimually, and I did too. I can't complain too much with how it actually turned out, as long as Ru doesn't become the mouthpiece. See you at the anniversary.
Ringmistress
I worry that Sandman will get so thin he'll become Sam Houston.
I'm glad AJ has a chance with the belt, and I'm glad to see the company trying something distinct from WWE: a small champ.
The runs-in are just so old hat though. They need to be parceled out in moderation. I'm glad to see Kash and D'Lo get the spotlight, and I'm always appreciative to see Shark Boy. James has got to drop the DX arm sign, though. I'm still surprised Siaki is not more prominent given his initial push.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Didn't Russo help Jarrett keep the title last week? And now he helps Styles help win the title from Jarrett this week? This sounds like the typical Russo "swerves" that worked so well for WCW. I just can't be a fan of Russo's booking style, regardless of the fact that he is willing to push those not considered "established" superstars.
Everything that is wrong in this world can be blamed on Freddie Prinze Jr.
Originally posted by ges7184Didn't Russo help Jarrett keep the title last week? And now he helps Styles help win the title from Jarrett this week? This sounds like the typical Russo "swerves" that worked so well for WCW. I just can't be a fan of Russo's booking style, regardless of the fact that he is willing to push those not considered "established" superstars.
Yeah, well, Russo's goal wasn't to get the belt OFF of Jarrett; it was to get the belt ON to Styles. So his feelings toward Jarrett haven't changed between this week and last.
Well, why bother interfering last week at all, then, given that Styles would get a shot regardless? Two reasons: 1) Russo hates Gilbertti anyway, so why not? (Why does he hate Glen? I dunno. I guess Russo will explain himself AT GREAT LENGTH next week.) 2) Helping JJ keep the title last week makes JJ more unsuspecting and an easier target this week.
I hate seeing Russo's stupid face on TV as much as anyone, but this is pretty easy to explain away, I think.
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